Any companies still making -R discs in Japan?

[oldfart13]

I've finally run into the "no Japanese media" problem with Fuji and Maxell now switching over to production or acqusitions from Taiwan and subsequently, no good burns or outright coasters in my equipment. Are there any manufacturers still making -R discs in Japan? How long before Fuji stops making +R in Japan I wonder...

[lordsmurf]

Sure, see them all the time.

Mitsubishi, Taiyo Yuden and Hitachi/Maxell all have Japan plants to this day.

The only one to "shut down" was Pioneer (PVC), but my guess is the just sold it to somebody else (though I'm not exactly sure who). They did that back in 2003.

MCC media, though, much of it is now from Taiwan space rented out of the CMC plants. They do not make the bulk of DVD-R and DVD+R in Singapore or Japan anymore. But it's still fine. Same stuff, different location.

[ROBERT BLACK]

I've finally run into the "no Japanese media" problem with Fuji and Maxell now switching over to production or acqusitions from Taiwan and subsequently, no good burns or outright coasters in my equipment. Are there any manufacturers still making -R discs in Japan? How long before Fuji stops making +R in Japan I wonder...

If Futureshop and Bestbuy are you're primary sources for Japanese discs, then get used to ordering online, or move to a major city centre. I now have to buy my Taiyo Yuden's from Toronto's computer alley.(block of comp stores) FS and BB in my area have almost NO Japanese made media at all. Just the odd Maxell spindle.

[Hawseman]

.......

MCC media, though, much of it is now from Taiwan space rented out of the CMC plants. They do not make the bulk of DVD-R and DVD+R in Singapore or Japan anymore. But it's still fine. Same stuff, different location.

Yes, MCC, Verb DLP's, MIT, are very good IMHO. I've had nothing but good burns with their products (printables too!) in multiple burners.

[Gen-An]

MCC hasn't made any DVD media at its Japan plant in a LOOOOOOOONG time (i.e. 2x DVD-R). I think that plant is mostly making magnetic media or something. TY and Maxell are the most well known, but there are also the manufacturers Unifino and AMC that make their discs in Japan.

[oldfart13]

"or move to a major city centre"

This IS the major centre! No other big centers for 1,000 Km!

Found a good deal on Fuji +R "Made in Japan" today. The Real Canadian Superstore sells them at $10CAD per 25 piece spool. Futureshop wants $22.95 for the same spool! Once you clean out all the ones at Superstore, get Futureshop to price match and then clean them out too. The latest batches in seem to be all "Made in Taiwan" discs that quite a number of people on the forums are saying they are having trouble burning. Get the last of the Japanese ones while you can. They should be okay until something else comes along...

[oldfart13]

"
Mitsubishi, Taiyo Yuden and Hitachi/Maxell all have Japan plants to this day"

That's not saying much. Without having contacts there, we have no idea what they are producing in those plants. For consumer replentishables, they may have moved their business to Taiwan. Too bad many people are now reporting that discs like Fuji are being outsourced to Taiwan now and those don't burn well anymore. I know they won't work in my E80H and my Pioneer A05, so I'm steering clear of them. Ditto with the +R "Made in Taiwan" Fujis not working in my LG4040B. The "Made in Japan" versions still work in all my burners but even the +Rs are getting difficult to find at B&M stores and I imagine soon at online retailers as well. After the current stocks run out, then what?

[Gen-An]

TY discs are still manufactured in Japan and likely will continue to be so given that the fact that it makes its discs in Japan is a big selling point of its media in the Japanese market (all of their That's brand has a big banner that says "Made in Japan" on the lables/boxes). There have been rumors of Maxell outsourcing production of its own media to Taiwan, but so far it's been just a rumor as MXLRG03, RG04, MAXELL002 and MAXELL003 (8x and 16x DVD-R and DVD+R respectively) are still made in Japan (just check the lables for country of origin). Fujifilm does very little media manufacturing of its own but instead resells other manufacturer's media under its own brand name. So Fujifilm made in Japan is TY media, while Taiwan will be Prodisc (-R) or Ricoh (+R).

[oldfart13]

All the latest Maxell spools and 5 and 10 packs with cases I have seen all have stickers on them that say "Made In Taiwan". No more "Made In Japan" media from any B&M stores in this area...

[Gen-An]

If they say made in Taiwan, they aren't true Maxell media; Maxell is just slapping its brand name on some Ritek or Ricoh media. Hitachi-Maxell still makes its own media in Japan.

[SilverBlade]

www.blankmedia.com sells made in japan maxell discs:

http://www.blankmedia.ca/proddetail3.asp?id=547

[oldfart13]

75 cents to a buck a disc is a far cry from the 25 cents per disc I'm now paying for branded Fuji 8X +Rs I can get locally. Might be good if I can get up enough money to split a 500 piece cakebox with some friends...

[piano632]

Was at Staples today and picked up two 10-packs of Sony (made in Japan) 4x DVD-R in jewel cases for $4.94 each. I think these are TY discs, but haven't checked them yet.

[Hawseman]

Was at Staples today and picked up two 10-packs of Sony (made in Japan) 4x DVD-R in jewel cases for $4.94 each. I think these are TY discs, but haven't checked them yet.

I think you'll find they are SONYD4's......I thought the same. They work pretty good for me though.

[Gen-An]

Hawseman, are you sure yours were made in Japan? All the Sony 4x DVD-R MIJ discs I've gotten were TYG01.

[Hawseman]

Positively.....I bought 2 - 10 packs of jewels with "Made in Japan" from Staples 2 weeks ago and they were all SONY04D1's. I thought I'd stumbled on the motherload of TY 4x's. I would have probably went back and bought 2 or 3 more (at least).

I've just re-checked both boxes and slapped a few unburned ones in one of my drives. I'm absolutely positive now. Jewels also say "MIJ".

Piano.....Try one out, I'll crap myself if they're TY's....

I have burned a few of them to great success.....so, I'm not too upset about it.

[piano632]

Mine are SONY04D1's but they're still made in Japan so still a good deal.

Not really a bargain, but I also found 10-packs of Japanese-made 4x Sony +RW in library cases for $18.99 at Circuit City. Media code is Sony S11 which seem to be highly rated discs on this site. These are the first Japanese rewriteable discs I've seen in a long time.